Delaware
Sussex County proposes FY 25 budget with no tax increase
Sussex County introduces its Fiscal Year 2025 budget, and it’s lower than this year.
The proposed budget is almost $266 million dollars. That’s about $13 million less than the current year as American Rescue Plan Act funds come off the books.
There is no increase in taxes, but the county proposes using reserves to balance the budget with $12.4 million going to the General Fund and $11.9 to the Capital Fund.
The good news is there is no increase in property taxes, but residents can expect fee increases.
“We do have some changes in fees,” said Jennings. “I am proposing a $25 annual increase in our water rates, that’s a 6.4% increase, a $10 increase in sewer rates.”
That’s Sussex County Finance Director Gina Jennings who adds the proposed sewer increase is three percent.
The county also wants to add fees according to Jennings.
“A new fee, it’s a plan resubmittal fee, it’s $300 per occurrence, and this would be happening in two different departments, one being in the engineering department for sewer and road reviews. They get a lot of reviews from engineers and we ask exactly what we need and sometimes we have to reject them and we have to start all over again. So staff’s asking to help with the backlog is that we implement a rejection fee,” said Jennings.
The other department using that new fee would be Planning and Zoning. Currently the county doesn’t charge a fee to go back and review again.
Another proposed fee is for use of the Data Center in Seaford by municipalities who want to store data off-site. It would be either $500 per month for a half a rack and $1,000 per month for a full rack.
There will be a public hearing on the budget on June 18th at 10:15 in council chambers at the Sussex County Administration Building.
County Council needs to approve a final budget by June 30th.
DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio — People in Delaware County said it feels like new housing developments are popping up on every corner.
WSYX
“What haven’t you noticed, right? The whole area just exploded,” said Scott Shonebarger.
Scott Sanders, the executive director of the Regional Planning Commission, said companies like Intel and other industries are a main driver for thousands of people moving to Delaware County.
With the big boom comes an urgent need for more housing.
John Wicks is the developer at Real Property Design and Development.
He has spent over a decade building homes for families in Delaware County.
Wicks said the Olentangy School District is one of the hottest spots for new homes.
“I started with one high school up until the 90s, then now we’re up to four up to five different high schools so it’s just a big draw,” said Wicks. “It’s a beautiful community.”
The district has grown into the fourth largest in Ohio with a new elementary school opening next year, and a fifth high school in 2028.
Wicks said the growth has presented some challenges over the years like labor shortage and some opposition.
“It’s become a big issue for a lot of people that live in and around these areas. They tend to oppose new growth and new development, so restrictions have gotten a little bit harder. Costs have obviously gone up over the last 20 years,” said Wicks.
The planning commission says between 275,000 and 350,000 people could call Delaware County home by 2040.
That’s up from 214,000 in 2020.
Scott Shonebarger said he supports growth but wonders when is enough.
“I mean to a certain extent I think you know at some point right you have to have some sort of boundaries I think, getting into the fact that now you have five high schools,” said Shonebarger. “What’s the limit?”
Police in Wilmington, Delaware, shot and killed a 19-year-old man Wednesday night.
The incident happened in a residential area near 24th and Jessup streets just after 11 p.m., Wilmington police said in a news release. The person who was shot has not been publicly identified.
Officers were monitoring a large crowd gathered outside when they saw a man exit a home with a handgun and point it toward the crowd, police say.
When officers approached the man, he ran away and a foot pursuit began, police say.
At some point in the chase, an officer fired their weapon and hit the 19-year-old. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
Police say they recovered a loaded gun from the man and that the officer was not injured.
Video filmed at the scene shows a crowd of residents gathered outside after the shooting.
Police are asking anyone with more information to come forward. The shooting is under investigation by the Delaware Department of Justice and Wilmington police.
Delaware Supreme Court Justice Karen L. Valihura announced Wednesday that she will lead a new corporate law institute at the Wilmington University Farnan School of Law.
She will step down from the bench of Delaware’s highest court in late July, after choosing not to seek reappointment at the end of her 12-year term. She revealed her plans for the next phase of her legal career in a special session of the court in Wilmington.
As well as joining the Wilmington University law school faculty, Valihura will be the founding director of the school’s new Corporate Law, Governance and Practice Institute. …
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